Boog Powell remembers former teammate Frank Robinson

now joined by boob Kyle who has fixed mom few sandwiches there on you tall Street was the MVP of the 1970 season in the American League and will get were part of the arrival of Frank Robinson in 66 and tell us a little about what you saw what he meant to the ballclub at that point well you know when we when we first saw him we know but I don't think anybody really knew or understood or what to expect and Frank got in the batting cage down there and he was rattling balls through the coconut trees down there and and then I turned in an Andy etchebarren turned to me and he said we just won the pennant and that was in spring training and I said I said yeah I think you might be right and we were good and we knew we were good but I don't know we just needed I don't know maybe just that one the one catalyst or that one something something that put us over the edge and Frank did that in more than one way not only was hitting home runs and driving in runs but his attitude and the way that he approached the game and the way that it's you know as an instance for instance you know he would see one of our guys out there on the field talking to one of the other team's players and he would say hey don't be doing that we're we're going to go out there and kick their butt in 20 minutes you know they said you want to get together with him get together with him after the game or something you know that it doesn't look good when you're out there kissy-kissy and smiley smiley when you're gonna kick your butt you know that was the attitude that Frank had and that was the attitude that he brought every day and he was not your friend on the ballpark could you talk a little long I'm sorry buck I talked over you there as I always do doubt that at the grill but talk a little bit about have you ever seen a more fearless hitter than Frank Robinson who was just unintimidated that's a word time after time I you know I be well not time after time because most of the time I get behind Frank and but I just watched him stand about you know six inches from home plate just hang out over the plate Here I am boys and they and everybody pitched him inside and he got hit you know fairly often but you had to be very very careful in there because when you would came in there that's those are the ones that go out of the ballpark and not on the street and that kind of stuff but he was he was it like you said he was absolutely fearless and it was even better when you saw it on the field or when you saw it like every now and then I'd be on second base and Frank could be hit and I just I'd watch you I'd watch him and it didn't really matter how hard you were throwing didn't matter what you had I mean he was on it he was hardly ever fooled and I just wish that I could have there were some times when all ballplayers do that but Frank did it all the time well 66 World Series the Orioles swept the Dodgers four to nothing and Frank hit two home runs against Don Drysdale game one in Game four how impressive was that what do you remember about that well you know the first time I was hitting behind both here man Brooksie and they go back-to-back and I go oh no I'm going to get knocked down in my first World Series appearance you know and it was just it was great and I wasn't sure what to expect but it kind of took it took the pressure off for everybody if I remember right we were down in that game I think McNally gave up two or three runs in the first or second inning and then that's when Moe came in and shut him down but I can remember you know of course in the second the second one that he hit in Baltimore I hit one off of him too that got taken away from me in centerfield but but it was like what's an inspiration it really was Franklin's an inspiration to everybody that ever played with there's no doubt look let's go to Cleveland now you you are part of the Indians he managed the Indians tell us a little about the first managed game by Frank Robinson in 75 and also I think both of you each had home runs in that game but tell us a little about what your thoughts were Frank managing ball clubs well you know I told Frank before the game and we talked a little bit about it and I said Frank I don't know what I can do to help you here but you know these guys expected to finish 500 and it was ok to finish 500 there's one okay to finish 500 and Frank didn't accept that and I didn't accept that and we you know we I said if there's anything that I can do to help you or anything that I can do for the ball club let me know and I'll be glad to help you he said you know fine and all that but anyway here he is he's the first black manager in baseball he's managing a team he's playing he's up to bat his first at-bat and he takes some guy he takes stock managed deep and them in his first at-bat and I said how tough is he this I mean just to be on the same field with him and watch him come into the watching come in and it was like now he started thinking about his lineup and thinking about everything else and it ain't that easy yeah but it was a it was a great experience for me and it's kind of kind of took the pressure off of me - really well when's the last time you talked to Frank Robinson do you remember we did a card show last summer and we we got together and we talked about a little bit about some of the discussions that Phil segi and him used to have at this office and say you said they used to have a little bit of a difference of opinion on the lineup from time to time and Frank had a at a very direct reply hi we put it that way when mr. segi came in there and suggested that he used such and such a lineup but you Frank wasn't very happy about that and so anyway yeah we talked about that we laughed and chuckled about that for a little while but I didn't get to spend nearly enough time with him and his wife Barbara was there and I got say hello to her too she was she was part of the family also and all our wives were like sisters just like we were brothers and we'd do anything for any one of our guys on the on the field well bug luck we really appreciate you taking some time to spend with us I know you're down in Florida right now and obviously it's a sad time now for Orioles fans and everybody connected to Frank Robinson's and we appreciate you taking some time with us yes it's a it's a sad day and you know we hate to lose Frank but they've got a lot of really wonderful memories you know going up and going all the way back to that first day of spring training and through all the way through my time with Cleveland with him and all of the years that I got to know him I'm glad that I knew he great point but we appreciate it again boom pow the Orioles Hall of Famer first baseman for the verse 1970 Most Valuable Player and of course the host of boobs barbecue since Camden Yards is open out there on you tall string we thank a boob for that

Channel: masn Orioles

Views: 5,300

Rating: 4.9523811 out of 5

Keywords: Baltimore Orioles, baseball, MASN, MASNsports.com, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, MLB, Major League Baseball, Orioles, O's, Birds, Frank Robinson, Hall of Fame, Baseball Hall of Fame, Boog Powell

Id: ZAR6cl6Fok4

Length: 8min 3sec (483 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 07 2019